pH Sensor Array Fluctuation Correction via Disposable Electrodes
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Glass reference electrodes are brittle and pose handling risks, while non-glass electrodes like Pt or Ag/AgCl can reduce measurement precision due to potential fluctuations, limiting the application of pH sensor arrays in medicine and biochemistry.
Innovation Solution
A method to determine the potential of a sample using multiple elements in a pH sensor array, accounting for the fluctuations to stabilize pH measurements, allowing for the use of non-glass reference electrodes like Pt or Ag/AgCl, by calibrating sensitivity coefficients and constants from standard solutions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a glass reference electrode is used to stabilize the potential of the sample, then the precision of pH measurement is improved, but the reference electrode becomes brittle and poses handling risks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the fragile glass reference electrode with a disposable non-glass reference electrode (such as Pt or Ag/AgCl) that can be safely discarded after use. This eliminates the brittleness and handling risks of glass while maintaining measurement functionality through the computational correction method.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a computational intermediary (the fluctuation correction based on multiple element outputs) that mediates between the non-glass reference electrode and the pH measurement. This computational layer compensates for the potential fluctuations inherent in non-glass electrodes, achieving glass-electrode-level precision without the glass electrode's physical drawbacks.
2Measurement precision
If a glass reference electrode is used to improve measurement precision, then the precision is improved, but the device becomes difficult to make small and limits application
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs disposable non-glass reference electrodes that can be manufactured in miniaturized forms without the structural constraints of glass. These small-scale electrodes can be integrated into compact pH sensor arrays while maintaining measurement precision through the fluctuation correction algorithm.
3Reliability
If a non-glass reference electrode such as Pt or Ag/AgCl is used to prevent breaking and reduce size, then the reference electrode reliability is improved and size is reduced, but the potential of the sample fluctuates and reduces measurement precision
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the outputs of multiple pH sensor elements are continuously monitored. The fluctuation in potential detected from these multiple elements is fed back into the calculation system, which then adjusts and corrects the pH measurement in real-time to compensate for the non-glass reference electrode's potential instability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a computational intermediary that processes the outputs from multiple pH sensor elements. This computational layer acts as a mediator that transforms the fluctuating signals from non-glass reference electrodes into stable, corrected pH measurements by calculating and removing the potential fluctuation component.
4Reliability
If multiple elements in a pH sensor array are used to determine potential and correct fluctuations, then the measurement reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes each pH sensor element in the array multi-functional: they simultaneously serve as both pH sensing elements and reference potential measurement elements. This universality allows the system to extract both pH information and potential fluctuation information from the same set of elements, eliminating the need for separate reference electrodes and reducing overall device complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method enables precise pH determination even with fluctuating potentials, enhancing measurement reliability and safety by using non-glass reference electrodes, suitable for various sample types including solutions, gels, and solid substances.
Implementation Method 1
When an element i forming a pH sensor array is contacted with a sample, the output Voi of the element i is defined as the following Equation (1): Voi=Si×pHi+Gi×Vrm+Ci
Data Source
AI summary
The purpose of the present invention is to measure pH of a sample with high accuracy in a pH sensor array, without the use of a glass reference electrode. Each time that a sample is measured, the potential Vrm of the sample is identified, and the identified potential Vrm is used to calculate the pH. The outputs Voi1 and Voi2 of a first element and a second element located near one another in a sensor array are represented as follows. Voi1=Si1×pHi1+Gi1×Vrm+Ci1, Voi2=Si2×pHi2+Gi2×Vrm+Ci2. Voi is the output of the element, Si and Gi are sensitivity coefficients, and Ci is a constant, these values having been derived in advance. Here, where the potential Vrm is constant, and the elements located near one another are presumed to be at equal pH (pHi1=pHi2), the potential Vrm is identified by solving a linear equation with two unknowns.